DENVER – Last of the Wolverines to step onto a CHSAA Class 3A State Championships mat, senior Justin Westbrook ensured that Bayfield’s backers who traveled to the capital city would leave as happy as still possible as he led his squad with a fifth-place finish on Saturday.
His own title dreams dashed in the previous evening’s semifinals by a 15-0 technical-fall loss to Gilcrest-based Valley’s Rocky Hoffschneider, Westbrook returned to Ball Arena ready to make amends as his work in the 175-pound division continued. But against Berthoud’s Jaxon Ficarra in the consolation semis, Westbrook was presented with another obstacle with a podium placing still in sight and lost to the junior via 11-3 major decision.
Next, against Loveland Resurrection Christian sophomore Josh Stockton, with fifth place still at stake, Westbrook made a few mistakes Stockton could exploit, but Westbrook prevailed, 5-2, after six minutes had his hand raised by the referee. After going 3-2 during the three-day season-ending spectacle, Westbrook finished his final campaign in Wolverine gear standing 36-10 overall; Stockton slipped to 33-9, having previously lost 8-4 to Westbrook in the weight’s quarterfinals.
Bayfield junior 126-pounder Connor Martindale also found himself vying for fifth place, but unsuccessfully so as Keenesburg Weld Central junior Cooper Howell won a 15-7 major, after Eaton senior Louden Kindsfater had defeated Martindale via 17-4 major in the consolation semis. Martindale finished 3-3 at the meet and ended up 43-8 for the ’25-26 campaign; Howell, who’d pinned Martindale late in the third period of their earlier quarterfinal encounter, improved to 38-17.
At 144 pounds, senior Reese Appenzeller (29-16) went 0-2 after being pinned on the 19th by Gunnison junior Zach Benson – eventually a 47-0 State Champion – in 1:39, then losing 9-6 on the 20th to Bennett sophomore Mormon Jordan.
Bayfield ended up scoring 19 points and tying Elizabeth for 27th place out of 41 scoring, and 46 represented boys’ teams overall. Eaton emerged atop the lot, piling up 149 points and defeating runner-up Alamosa by 29.5. Fort Lupton (100 points) climbed into third place and Denver Mullen (98.5) fourth, with Edgewater Jefferson (82) clipping La Junta (81) for fifth.
Senior Elly Coey and freshman Jade Kehoe ended up with one win apiece at the CHSAA Girls Class 4A State Championships, helping Bayfield’s qualifying trio score seven points and share 50th place with fellow Intermountain Leaguers Centauri.
Coey finished her last season standing 1-2 at state and 21-12 overall after losing 8-2 to Denver John F. Kennedy senior Brooklyn Garcia in the second round of consolation action at 120 pounds. Competing at 140, Kehoe also ended up 1-2 in Denver and finished her rookie run standing 20-11 after going out on the short side of an 8-5 verdict against Burlington’s Sayler Wall.
At 100 pounds, sophomore Violet Christner (17-13) went 0-2 after losing via 16-0 technical fall to Pueblo Central junior Acelyn Duran–State Champion at the weight in 2025 and, as it turned out, 2026 – and by second-period pin courtesy of Colorado Springs James Irwin freshman Lilliana Vanasse.
Duran and the Wildcats amassed 115.5 points and earned first place over Severance (102.5) and Las Animas (102). Cañon City (95 points) and senior repeat 135-pound State Champion Kate Doughty climbed into fourth place, ahead of Gunnison (68) and Fort Lupton (66).
